(a)
to assess and make recommendations to the minister regarding fish processing licensing applications, including applications for new licences, and the consolidation and transfer of fish processing licences;

(b)
to assess and make recommendations to the minister regarding applications for the addition of new species to existing fish processing licences, and, where appropriate, make recommendations regarding licensing on a regional basis;

(c)
to assess and make recommendations to the minister regarding corporate concentration, merger and acquisition issues in the context of fish processing licensing matters; and

6.
(1) Members of the board shall be appointed for a period of 4 years.

(2)
Notwithstanding subsection (1), members of the first board appointed under this Act shall be appointed in the following manner:

(a)
the chairperson and 2 members of the board shall be appointed for a period of 4 years; and

(b)
2 members of the board shall be appointed for a period of 2 years.

(2.1)
Where the term of a member of the board expires, he or she continues to be a member until reappointed or replaced.

(3)
Where a vacancy occurs on the board, the Lieutenant-Governor in Council shall appoint a person for the unexpired portion of the term of the person whose leaving created the vacancy or for a longer term as the Lieutenant-Governor in Council may determine.

(4)
A member of the board who misses 3 consecutive meetings of the board without cause shall be considered, upon a report by the board to the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, to have vacated his or her position on the board.

(5)
A board member who, during the course of his or her term, acquires holdings or interests or changes his or her holdings or interests in the fish processing sector, the fish harvesting sector or a related sector shall report that acquisition or change to the minister.

(6)
Where the minister receives a report under subsection (5), the minister may, in his or her discretion, inform the Lieutenant-Governor in Council of the contents of that report.

8.
(1) Meetings of the board shall be scheduled at the call of the chairperson or, in his or her absence, the vice-chairperson, but there shall be no fewer than 2 meetings in a calendar year.

(2)
Meetings of the board may be conducted by teleconference or videoconference or by other means provided that, in a meeting, all members may participate simultaneously and instantaneously.

(3)
A board member participating in a meeting by teleconference, videoconference or other method referred to in subsection (2) shall be counted as a member present at the meeting for the purpose of establishing a quorum under subsection (4).

(4)
A quorum of the board shall be 3 members, one of whom shall be the chairperson or vice-chairperson.

(5)
In the case of a tie vote of the board, the chairperson, or in
the case of his or her absence or abstention, the vice-chairperson, shall have the casting vote.

(6)
A board member shall not abstain from voting on a motion or resolution of the board unless he or she has been permitted to abstain by a majority vote of other board members in attendance at the meeting.

(7)
Notwithstanding subsection (5), where the chair has abstained from voting and there is a tie vote, the motion or resolution may be deferred to the next meeting of the board.

(8)
Board members shall be remunerated in accordance with Treasury Board guidelines.

(9)
Board members shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in the course of their duties in accordance with Treasury Board guidelines.

(a)
consider an application for a fish processing licence which has been properly made to it, including an application for a new licence, a consolidated licence or a transfer of licence;

(b)
consider an application made to it under this Act which it is authorized to consider;

(c)
consider a matter referred to it by the minister, where that matter is of one of general application which does not refer specifically to a particular fish processing licence;

(d)
consider an application related to corporate concentration, merger and acquisition issues in the context of fish processing licensing matters; and

(e)
after considering a matter referred to in paragraphs (a) to (d), make a recommendation, including its reasons for that recommendation, to the minister with respect to a course of action on that matter.

(2)
The board may

(a)
request that the minister provide professional or technical assistance or advice required by it to make its recommendations to the minister; and

(b)
generally, do those other things that are necessary to fulfil its mandate and make the required recommendations to the minister regarding an application under this Act.

(a)
advertise, in the required form, his or her intention to make the application at least once a week for 2 consecutive weeks in

(i)
a newspaper of general circulation, and

(ii)
a newspaper having circulation in the region affected by the application; and

(b)
contemporaneously, submit to the board his or her application under this Act, together with the particulars that the board may require,

but in no circumstance shall the board consider the application until the advertising process required by paragraph (a) is completed.

(2)
The board

(a)
shall consider an application properly made to it under subsection (1) according to the Fish Processing Policy Framework or the other policy guidelines, criteria or directions given to it by the minister;

(b)
may hold an open public meeting with respect to the application in question; and

(c)
shall, after considering the application, make a recommendation to the minister regarding that application, including its reasons for that recommendation.

(3)
The Fish Processing Policy Framework referred to in subsection (2) and any other policy guidelines, criteria or directions given to the board by the minister shall be made publicly available in the manner that the minister shall direct, and for greater certainty, may be made available through the Internet.

11.
The minister shall consider a recommendation of the board made to him or her under paragraph 10(2)(c) and shall, following his or her decision with respect to the application, release both the recommendation of the board and his or her decision regarding the application first to the applicant and then to the public.